Electric switch



B. E. GETCHELL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH APPLICATION FILED APR. 25. 1920.

1 ,407,852, Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

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Inventor:

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UNITED STATES PATENT omcs.

BENJAMIN E. GETCHELL, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRUM- IB'ULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 28, 1922,

Application filed April 26, 1920. Serial No. 376,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN E. GETCH- ELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartford, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Electric Switch, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism for effectively preventing arcing or breaking or extinguishing the are formed in the act of opening an air break switch of the knife blade or butt contact type. It is particularly shown in its preferred form as applied to a three bladed switch.

Fig. 1 is a front view of mechanism embodying the improvements of my invention, the parts being shown in the open circuit position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation and partial section on a larger scale on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1, also shewing in dotted lines the position of the parts when the switch is in the half closed position.

Fig, 3 is a similar view on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 1, the parts being shown in the closed circuit position.

In the forms shown, there are three switch blades 5, 6, and 7, each of which is pivoted or hinged on a support 8. The parts of the switch mechanism proper are mounted on an insulating base 9 and may be enclosed within a box or receptacle 10 if desired. in this form, there is an operating crank 11 mounted in the box, but it will be understood that any form ofoperating mechanism may be employed. The blades are connected in this case by an insulating crossbar 12, and the latter is connected to the crank 11 by one or more links 13. The stationary jaws or contacts 15, 16, and 17 are adapted to be engaged respectively by the blades 5, 6, and 7. All of the parts thus far described may be of the usual or any suitable construction of this general type.

The are arresting'mechanism consists of two insulating members 18 and 18 hinged at 19, and connected bythe insulating member 20. The links 21, 21 connect the members 18, 18 to the switch blade 6. The parts are so constructed and arranged that the knife blade of the switch can engage the stationary jaw 16 in the usual manner, but

- that when the switch is open the members 18 and 18' are swung up on opposite sides of the contact aw 16 and the barrier 20 lnterposed between the outer end of the contact jaw 16 and the knife blade 6 as shown in Fig. 2. This not only intercepts any are tending to follow the blade 6 from the contact jaw 16, but also cuts off any lateral arc tending to jump from the contact jaw 16 to the adjacent contact jaws 15 and 17, or from the jaws 15 and 17 to the blade 6 or vice versa. Any two or more of the members 18, 20, 18 may be considered a housing for a contact member to prevent arcing.

F or convenience in construction, it is preferred to hinge the fan like members 18 and 18 to the stationary contact jaw 16 and to hinge the links 21 and 21 directly to the sides of the switch blade 6. It will be ob vious however that this invention is not limited to this precise construction. It should be understood of course that in a switch having but two switch blades and corresponding stationary jaws that it would be necessary to have only a single swinging member 18 between the adjacent blades and jaws respectively, but that in a switch having three blades and corresponding stationary contact jaws, there should be a swinging member between the center blade and each of the outer blades.

1 claim 1. in a knife switch, a hinged blade, a stationary contact adapted to be engaged by the swinging end of said blade, an arc interrupting member, means for moving said interrupting member between the stationary contact and the swinging end of said blade, and a lateral insulating barrier at one side of said interrupting member.

2. In a knife switch, a hinged blade, a sta-- tionary contact adapted to be engaged by the swinging end of said blade, an arc in terruptin member, means for movin said interrupting member between the stationary contact and the swinging end of said blade, and a lateral insulating barrier on opposite sides of said interrupting member.

3. In a knife switch, a hinged blade, a sta tionary contact, a pair of pivoted insulating shield members on opposite sides of and closely adjacent to said contact, an insulating barrier carried by and between said pivoted members, and a link connecting said blade and one of said pivoted members.

4:. In a knife switch, a plurality of hinged blades, stationary contacts adapted to be engaged thereby, a swinging insulating member mounted at one side of one of the stationar contacts for preventing lateral arcing to another stationary contact, and means for causing said swinging member to move with said blades.

5. In an electric switch, comprising fixed and movable parts and including fixed and movable contacts, an insulating are interrupting member pivoted to move in a plane substantially parallel to afixed contact, an insulating arc interrupting barrier secured to said insulating member, a link pivotally connecting one of said insulating members and a movable part of said switch whereby when the switch is opened the insulating barrier will be interposed between the switch contacts and the first mentioned insulating member will be moved to prevent lateral arcing from said fixed contact.

(3. In a knife switch, three hinged blades. stationary contacts adapted to be engaged thereby, a swinging insulating shield member pivoted at each side of the center contact for preventing lateral arcing to the other stationary contacts, said shield members being connected to swing with said blades, and an insulating barrier carried by said swinging members.

7. In an electric switch, a movable contact member, a stationary contact, an insulating shield member hinged on each side of said stationary contact, and a link pivoted to said shield member and connected to said movable member.

8. In an electric switch, a movable contact member, a stationary contact, a movable insulating shield member mounted on one side of said contact for preventing lateral arcing from the latter, a link connecting said movable member with said insulating shield member, and an insulating arc interrupting barrier carried by said insulating member, and adapted to pass between said stationary contact and said movable. contact when the switch is opened.

9. In an electric switch, a movable contact member, a stationary contact, a pair. ot insulating movable shield members on opposite sides of said contacts for preventing lateral arcing from the latter, an insulating arc interrupting barrier carried by said insulating:

members, and a connection between sai mo able contact and one of said insulating members.

10. An electric switch comprising fixed and mo *able parts including fixed and movable contacts,. an insulatin housingpivotally connected to one of said parts and connected to another of said parts whereby when said movable contact is moved away from said fixed contact said housing will be moved by one of said movable parts so that a part of said housing will be interposed between said contacts for preventing arcing between the latter, and another part of-said housing will be moved to prevent lateral arcing from one of said contacts.

11. An electric switch comprising fixed and movable parts and including at least two pairs of fixed and movable contacts, an arc interrupting housing pivotally connected to one of said parts and connected to another part whereby when said movable contacts are moved away from said fixed contacts, said housing will bemoved by one of said movable parts to interpose a part of the housing between one fixed and one movable contact to prevent arcing between the latter, and another part of said housing will be interposed between said fixed contacts to prevent arcing between the latter.

BENJAMIN E. GETCHELL. 

